Smart said UGA will be working to implement the return of the players in the coming days amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has
sidelined collegiate sports since the winter sports championships were canceled on March. 12.

"I'm sure they are looking forward to returning to begin working toward what we hope is a regular season in the fall," said
Smart, himself once quarantined for two weeks after returning with his family from a vacation in Central America last March.

Georgia is scheduled to start the season against Virginia on Sept. 7 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has been holding calls with the league athletic directors on an almost daily basis, and weekly
conference calls with SEC league presidents and chancellors leading up to Friday's announcement.

Sankey says his focus is on starting the season on time, though he has said the COVID-19 recovery will ultimately set the
timeline.

UGA athletic director Greg McGarity acknowledged in his statement the return to campus is only a beginning.

"It's only the first step and there are many details still to be determined on every campus," McGarity said. "We'll certainly
be driven by the medical community and our sports medicine staff led by Ron Courson.

"Guidelines and enhanced health and safety measures will be followed to the letter. Again, this is only the first step with
further details and plans coming over the next several days and weeks."

The conference commissioners have agreed on a six-week training camp in effect by mid-July if the season is to start on time.
The six weeks had been recommended by the NCAA oversight committee.

"The great work of the SEC Medical Guidance Task Force, which included Ron Courson, provided the Presidents with thoughtful
analysis which helped inform our decision," said UGA president Jere Morehead, who added that the vote to return on June 8
was unanimous.

Courson, who a year ago to the date helped save the life of UGA redshirt freshman quarter D'Wan Mathis, provided an outline
of UGA's voluntary work-out and transition plan summary as follows:

The approval of "voluntary work-outs" is the first step back in an orderly progression for the return of sports, as follows:

First and foremost, our focus is on health and safety. We are taking a collaborative approach that involves public health,
community health care system, sports medicine, sports performance, sports nutrition, and sport coaches working together to
develop a plan and ensure each student-athlete has a individualized plan for return.

We will conduct COVID testing and perform medical evaluations on all student-athletes and they must be medically cleared
prior to any physical activity. We will identify any student-athletes and staff who may be more vulnerable due to existing
health conditions and ensure that we have an individualized plan of care for their safe return to sport or work based upon
medical guidance.

Our student-athletes have had an unprecedented lay-off from sports and we have to be smart about how we progress back to activity
during this "transition period". Our strength and conditioning return to sport plan will be based off national consensus guidelines
developed by a joint task force with representatives from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the Collegiate
Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association. It involves starting with a reduced volume of work and modified work-rest ratios
with a gradual increase, allowing the student-athletes to acclimate to both the environment with heat and humidity as well
as building up exercise tolerance.

We have developed a detailed plan to utilize the strength and conditioning facilities that follows the State of Georgia Executive
order for re-opening of exercise facilities, including screening procedures, small groups using social distancing, and enhanced
cleaning and disinfection protocols.